5 Reasons You Should Attend This Year’s (Doing) Business For Good Summit
For the third year in a row, Business For Good (BFG) is planning a one-day event to bring together local professionals, business owners, policymakers, nonprofit advocates, and public sector leaders to learn, connect, and be inspired.
It’s called the “(Doing) Business For Good Summit” because our Summit planning committee has worked purposefully to create an authentic, beneficial business event that doesn’t fit the normal conference mold, and inspires attendees to make a positive impact in San Diego.
How the (Doing) Business For Good Summit is different
On September 25, 2024, the 3rd annual (Doing) Business For Good Summit will take place at Bread & Salt in Logan Heights, with an exclusive after party at Mujeres Brew House.
“The BFG summit is focused on providing value to a broad set of attendees, including businesses, freelancers, and nonprofits, but it also provides engaging programming for those interested in local policy and government systems,” said Sam Mazzeo, Founder of Better APC and member of the Summit planning committee.
“We host the event at Bread & Salt because it’s a unique, community art-focused space in one of the San Diego Promise Zones–which I think is a stark contrast to hotel ballrooms or conference centers,” he continued. “And, our after party will take place at a fantastic, female-owned brewery right next door.”
The main goal of the (Doing) Business for Good Summit is to equip San Diego professionals with the fundamentals of running or being part of values-led organizations.
But this year’s Summit also includes new artistic elements, a hosted networking session, a chance to meet with local businesses in the exhibitor area, and breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics.
The top 5 reasons to attend the Summit
- A purpose-built agenda
We’ve all been to conferences where our eyes glaze over as the speakers drone through a PowerPoint. We clap politely then promptly forget everything as soon as we leave the room.
The (Doing) Business for Good Summit aims to be the antithesis of that conference experience. It’s more interactive, more concrete and action-focused, and more centered on helping local professionals recognize themselves as having a voice in what happens in our county and city.
“The biggest thing that sets the BFG Summit apart from other business events in San Diego is the focus on doing business for good,” said Emily Renda, BFG board member and member of the Summit planning committee.
“There are no other business events or organizations in San Diego that I am aware of that are specifically focused on putting people and the planet over profits and unchecked growth,” she continued. “It is amazing to interact with business leaders from all kinds of sectors who aren’t just talking about these topics, but are actually implementing them in their businesses.”
The Summit planning committee also incorporated attendee feedback from the last two years to improve the experience. We:
- Reduced the number of breakout session tracks from three to two
- Added new, drop-in “office hours” opportunities with onsite subject matter experts
- Built in a dedicated networking session
Attendees can connect outside of the breakout and general sessions more deeply with the Summit exhibitors and sponsors throughout the day. Exhibitors offer interactive displays, making it a great way to meet fellow Summit participants and learn about all of the purposeful businesses and organizations in San Diego making a difference. “Helping people make meaningful connections at the Summit is one of our top priorities,” said Sam.
- Actionable breakout sessions
Each breakout session features speaker panels of local leaders in values-led businesses, nonprofits, and the public sector.
“We got feedback from folks who attended last year that it was hard to choose which panels to attend—a great problem to have, but one that we could easily solve,” said Emily. “This year, we are holding only two breakout sessions at a time to make those choices easier.”
Attendees can expect to learn about topics such as:
- Business impact on communities
- Empowering communities with energy access and availability
- The impact or identity-based business networks
- How AI will influence small and medium businesses
- Why you shouldn’t start a nonprofit
- How media and entertainment are changing
- Representation matters
Panelists and speakers at a lot of business conferences across the nation don’t truly represent the community’s demographics. We made sure our Summit does.
“Our Summit speakers understand the issues that our communities face and the topics they care about and they’re also representative of the attendees,” said Sam. “We absolutely do not want to be another conference composed of only white male speakers.”
You can expect the BFG Summit to feature speakers and panelists of all genders, racial, and ethnic backgrounds to reflect our region’s rich diversity.
- Recognizing business and policy are interrelated
The Summit uniquely helps local professionals see how they fit into the landscape of San Diego—and how their businesses and workplaces shape the local community and the world around us.
Business For Good recognizes local businesses are one of the single most effective vehicles for driving public policy in America, and empowers its members to use their voices. Our BFG members are community members, parents, property owners, caregivers, creators, and humans. We operate outside of the monolithic “big business” agenda.
BFG members have first-hand knowledge that it’s possible to be profitable and support their families and employees—while creating a more sustainable, equitable region of all who live here through public policy. The (Doing) Business For Good Summit programming reflects this commitment to advocacy and empowerment, and to serving the community.
“Service is an important part of my business model,” said Emily. “I try to have service as 10-15% of my total working time. It’s inspiring to see a group of mostly volunteers come together and work diligently to ensure that this is a great experience for our members and the community at large.”
- Delicious food
Excellent food at a conference? Yep, it’s totally possible. Past feedback about the Summit overwhelmingly confirms how Business For Good is delightedly feeding stomachs, not just hearts and minds.
Back by popular demand, our lunch features a delicious spread from Big Front Door. And the no-pressure networking vibe continues with an exclusive post-Summit after party at Mujeres Brew House, right next door to Bread & Salt. Cap off the day with tacos and a cold beverage and keep the vibrant conversations going (or just sit back, relax, and take it all in).
Why the Summit is worth your time
The (Doing) Business for Good Summit is an impactful, volunteer-led platform that can help you learn more about the power you have to influence your own workplace, business, and causes you care about shaping San Diego County.
“The Summit is worth everyone’s time because it is a truly unique opportunity to engage with local professionals, policymakers and leaders who are leading the charge in creating positive, sustainable changes in our businesses, organizations and communities,” said Emily. “I am not aware of another professional conference or event that packs this much value for the price.”
Be a force for good in San Diego’s thriving entrepreneurial community. Get your ticket now to The (Doing) Business For Good Summit! Pricing starts at only $119 for Business For Good members and $149 for non-members, through September 20.
